Advantage West Midlands (AWM) the Regional Development Agency. It is one of eight English Regional Development Agencies (RDA's) that were UK Government in April 1999.

The focus of AWM work is on 'sustainable economic regeneration'. In the West Midlands the vision for sustainable economic regeneration, for the West Midlands, is encapsulated in the 'West Midlands Economic Strategy' (WMES). The strategy was published in October 1999.

Once the WMES was produced, the next step was its translation into a deliverable programme of co-ordination; AWM published a draft regional 'Agenda for Action' in 2001. The final draft of the agenda was approved at the West Midlands Regional Chamber Conference in April 2001.

One of the key features of the West Midlands economic Strategy was the proposal by AWM to establish Regeneration Zones.

The purpose of Regeneration Zones:

Ensure the targeting of regeneration resources on the areas of greatest need in the region

Improve linkages between need and opportunity

Lead to improved co-ordination of regeneration activity in each area.

There are 6 Regeneration Zones (RZs). The area that the RZs cover, collectively, accounts for one third of the regions population, of whom half are unemployed residents and nearly three fifths are long term unemployed.

Each RZ covers areas of greatest need in the region (defined principally through indices of deprivation, at a ward level). The boundaries of the zones deliberately include locations where there are opportunities for sustainable economic regeneration for the short, medium and longer term. The areas also cut across local authority areas, which encourages cross boundary working.

Another significant feature of the RZs is the fact the 10% of the most deprived wards are located within a Regeneration Zone.

Most of the Regeneration Zones are working through existing partnerships, although across boundaries. Cross boundary working supports and encourages the development of new relationships. The zones will be linked to Local Strategic Partnerships- required by government for each local authority area. The zones are as follows:

Marches
Population 1991: 283,000
Covers the most remote rural parts of the region. and parts of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. It adjoins mid-Wales.

East Birmingham & North Solihull
Population 1991: 424,000
Most of East Birmingham and small parts of Solihull, extends eastwards from City Centre.

North Black Country & South Staffordshire
Population 1991: 292,000
Cover part of Wolverhampton and Walsall and a small part of South Staffordshire. Contains several key regional inward investment sites.

North Staffordshire
Population 1991: 255,000
Covers the potteries areas, part of Stoke and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Coventry & Nuneaton
Population 1991: 255,000
Parts of Coventry, Nuneaton and Bedworth.

West Birmingham & South Black Country
Population 1991: 441,000
West of the city centre into parts of Dudley and Sandwell


Regeneration Zone Partnerships

Each Regeneration Zone (RZ) has a 'partnership board', which is comprised of public, private and voluntary sector representatives form the zone area. Each has developed a 'prospectus' a vision and overall strategy for the development of the RZ. The prospectus was used to develop action plans to help guide the investment and actions of key partners.

Advantage West Midlands and the RZ partnerships are working together to develop protocols for the work of RZ partnerships.